3/9 response

Although Boas and the others named in "How Anthropologists Fabricate Cultures" probably meant well when they decided to try and preserve native artwork in the way that they did, most of us can probably agree that it went a little wrong. I'm sure they didn't realize how much they would end up effecting the very things they wanted to save - but there is no doubt that they did. The idea seems quite an obvious one; by highlighting certain aspects of a culture and picking and choosing what parts of it to display, one can manipulate what is understood by others as important. I never realized, though, the full extent of how this affects the place the displayed objects are from. That Native Americans are now using Boas book as a base for their art, and basing what's good or not from his descriptions, is kind of disturbing. It can't be denied that it's affected their art, anyway. I also found the discussion of primitive vs fine art interesting - what actually makes something fine art? And why shouldn't the Northwest Coaster's art be considered fine as much as any other cultures?